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Back to School: What to Expect?
by Roxy Krawczyk, M.A. Ed.

The back-to-school season can be such an exciting time, for children and parents alike! 


For some families, attending preschool or kindergarten will be the first time their child has spent a significant amount of time away from home. For others, the start of school may mean moving to a new program, maybe even shifting from daycare to a more formal school setting. Other families will find that back-to-school means returning to a familiar environment and regular routines.


No matter which shift your family is going through this year, heading (back) to school is a big move. There will likely be a period of adjustment. And understanding what to expect can help make the transition a little easier for everyone.


For children, starting school means adapting to a lot of new stimuli. There are new environments, new routines, new people, new foods, and of course so many new things to learn! Even older children who are returning to the same program have to adjust to a new set of expectations as role models for new and younger friends.


With so much intellectual, cognitive, and social-emotional growth happening, it is very normal for children to be more tired than usual after school. After all, they are using a lot of energy to navigate their new environment. You may also see more dysregulated behavior such as whining, crying, or irritability. This happens because your child is using up so much of their self-regulation bandwidth during the course of the school day.


Don’t worry — these shifts are not permanent! As your child adjusts to their new daily rhythms, you should see their stamina and self-regulation begin to increase again.


If you are still seeing marked after-school fatigue or dysregulation in your child after the first month or so, let us know. Together we can investigate the contributing factors and make a plan to best meet your child’s needs.


You may also notice that your child wants to take on more responsibility at home. Or, conversely, they may show some signs of regression in this area. (Perhaps they even fluctuate between the two from day to day, or hour to hour!) Never fear – both are normal.


Some children will suddenly want to start doing things at home that they now do independently at school. Please let them! As long as they are showing interest and motivation, it is good for them to try new tasks and take on more independence at home.


Other children may find the new level of independence at school fatiguing and begin asking for help with tasks at home that they previously did on their own. Don’t panic. As their stamina grows, you should see your child returning to their former level of independence. For now, offer your child a little extra help with the understanding that you can shift expectations back as they make the adjustment.


And from our side, no news is good news! (Outside of our regular communication, of course.) We expect a period of adjustment, and we have over 60 years of combined experience in helping children through these transitions. Rest assured that if we have any concerns about your child, we will let you know right away.


Thank you for choosing A.L.M.A. for your family. We are so happy that you are a part of our community. We can’t wait to share in all of the amazing ways your child will grow this year!



About the Author

Roxy Krawczyk is an educator, consultant, and freelance writer. She has an M.A. in Education as well as Montessori teaching certifications in early childhood (AMS) and adolescence (AMI). Roxy loves helping parents learn new tools for the ever-changing job of raising small humans!

Developing Self-Control in Young Children

By Roxy Krawczyk, M.A. Ed. • October 31, 2024
The development of self-control begins at birth... However, most children don’t start to show significant gains in their emotional and behavioral control until somewhere between the ages of 3 and 7.
child eating lunch

Navigating Picky Eating (Without Panic!)

By Rita Castro Cassiano • January 28, 2024
Is your child a picky eater? Learn what leads to picky eating and how to interest your child in a wider variety of foods.

Cultivating Community for Our Children

By Rita Castro Cassiano • December 4, 2023
Cultivating Community for Our Children by Roxy Krawczyk, M.A. Ed. Community can be very simply defined as a group of people who live in the same place or who share certain characteristics. But meaningful community — the kind that helps us to live healthier, happier lives — is about much more than just a collection of people. It’s about the connections between them. It’s true that communities develop around shared commonalities like location, values, and goals. What makes them come alive, however, are the relationships that arise from those common threads. These connections are what allow us to shift from surviving to thriving. Participating in community offers human beings a wide array of physical, psychological, and emotional benefits. Living in community gives us the unique advantage of coregulation, a process that balances our nervous systems through the people around us. This reduces our overall stress and leads to improved physical and mental health. Not surprisingly, there is a significant correlation between companionship and happiness! Community also provides us with important physical and emotional support. When difficulties arise, we have people who can offer us help and comfort. This interdependent network creates a feeling of security and increases our resilience. Just as importantly, our involvement in community helps us to develop a sense of personal identity. It provides us with the important feeling of belonging to something larger than ourselves. It fosters the development of our core values, which help to define us as individuals. And it provides opportunities to discover our unique strengths and passions as we share with and learn from others. Our interactions with our community help us learn about ourselves and make conscious decisions about who we want to be. There’s no doubt about it: community is critical to our development and success. And what is one of the very first communities that we belong to? Our school! School communities play a critical role in our early learning: social, emotional, and academic. This is because being and feeling safe is a fundamental human need. Until we feel safe, we cannot focus on much else! From a neurological standpoint, a sense of security allows our brain to better process and retain new information. From a psychological one, feeling safe encourages us to ask questions, take risks, and self-advocate. All of these factors lead to deeper learning. But the benefits don’t stop there. Studies have shown that students in schools with strong community are not just more likely to be academically motivated; they’re also more likely to develop social-emotional competencies, to act ethically and altruistically, and to avoid problematic behaviors like drug use or violence down the road (Schaps, 2003). Being part of a strong, healthy school community enables students to thrive in all aspects of their development. So how do we cultivate a strong school community? First, we establish and emphasize our common values. At A.L.M.A., our core values are compassion, respect, and equity. These values are the foundation on which we build our relationships, and they guide us toward mutual growth and success. Next, we maintain healthy, supportive relationships among students, teachers, and parents/caregivers. We do this by engaging in open, honest, and empathetic communication. We approach issues with a problem-solving mindset. We remember that we are all on the same team working toward shared goals, and we embrace our own vulnerability in the process. Finally, we create opportunities for connection and joy. We come together for social events, for volunteer work, for celebrations. We share. We laugh. We collaborate. We eat! We work to promote helpfulness and inclusiveness while getting to know each other on a deeper level. The more we connect, the stronger our community becomes. A strong school community benefits all of us, but especially our children. They reap the physical benefits of more consistent regulation and reduced stress. They learn more effectively. They develop social-emotional skills and core values that will anchor them throughout their lives. They get key insight into themselves and the beautiful diversity of others. They thrive. References Dixon, E. (2021) The importance of cultivating community . Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-flourishing-family/202108/the-importance-cultivating-community Jefferies, T. (2023) Why community is so important—and how to find yours . Reader’s Digest. https://www.rd.com/article/what-is-community/ Schaps, E. (2003) Creating a school community . ASCD. https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/creating-a-school-community Stein, S. (2023) The Importance of Community . Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/what-the-wild-things-are/202307/the-importance-of-community About the Author Roxy Krawczyk is a Montessori teacher, education consultant, and freelance writer. She holds Montessori certifications in both early childhood (AMS) and adolescent education (AMI), as well as an M.A. in Education and a B.A. in English. Roxy has ten years of experience teaching in the classroom, and she has spent the last five years consulting for early childhood programs. She loves using her passions for education, research, and writing to help parents gain new insight into the ever-changing job of raising small humans!

The Importance of Interdependence

By Roxy Krawczyk, M.A. Ed. • November 26, 2023
The Importance of Interdependence by Roxy Krawczyk, M.A. Ed. When it comes to raising young children, we talk a lot about developing independence . And rightly so — the period from birth to age six is an especially critical time for developing physical, mental, and emotional self-reliance. These are the years when children learn to move independently, to care for their own bodily needs, to express and resolve big feelings. But what about interdependence? Though it may not be talked about as much, this social dynamic is critical to developing sustainable health and happiness. So what is interdependence, and why does it matter? Interdependence is a state of being interconnected with others. Living in a state of interdependence means that our individual well-being is influenced by or dependent on the well-being of the people around us. This is in contrast to a state of independence in which we are entirely self-reliant, and our well-being is not influenced by the people around us. Independence is not a bad thing. Generally speaking, our goal is for our children to grow into self-supporting adults. We want our kids to be able to function independently. But we also don’t want them to stop there. We want our children to recognize the importance of interdependence. We want them to build mutual, reciprocal relationships with the people in their lives. Why? Because living and working cooperatively makes us healthier, happier, and more successful. Hundreds of studies have demonstrated that positive interdependence (i.e. cooperation) tends to result in higher achievement and productivity, more positive interpersonal relationships, and greater psychological health (Johnson, 2001). And not only are these benefits important for each individual, they also contribute to the overall health, wellness, and success of our collective. So how do we teach our children the importance of interdependence? And how do we help them build the skills they need to develop healthy, cooperative relationships? We talk about it, we practice it together, and we model it in our own lives. Highlighting moments of interdependence that already exist in your child’s everyday life is an easy place to start. You can chat about things like group projects at school, team sports, or cooperative work at home like chores and meal prep. Help your child to process these experiences by asking them questions: How do they feel about working with other people? What do they enjoy about a particular group activity? Is anything challenging? Follow your child’s cues, validate their feelings, and help them to empathetically problem-solve any issues that may arise. Speaking of chores and meal prep, involving your child in cooperative household activities has a wide range of benefits. It develops practical life skills and self-confidence, both of which are key to future independent success. And just as importantly, it also offers regular opportunities for your child to contribute to the family’s goals through meaningful interdependent work. Encourage your child to ask for help when you notice that they need more support with a task or project. Brainstorm with them about who might be a good resource. You can even help them make the request if needed. Remember to talk about your child’s strengths and talents, too! Highlight moments when they are able to offer support to a friend or family member. Reflect with them on how it feels to be able to help someone else. Use moments when you need assistance with something to verbalize your thinking out loud. This can be as simple as, “Gee, I’m really having a hard time with ____ . I think I’ll ask ____ for some help.” Demonstrate the ways in which you work cooperatively with other people in your own personal and professional life. Modeling is a very powerful tool. Acting with mutual support in our adult relationships — especially the ones our kids see every day, such as those between parents, caregivers, and educators — will naturally lead our children to build similar relationships in their own lives. While developing independence is undoubtedly important for young children, it is never too early to also begin fostering interdependence. Children as young as 1 year old can learn to ask for help, participate in cooperative activities, and absorb relationship modeling. Helping our children to build the skills for both independence and interdependence will help set them up for long-term health, happiness, and success. References Conley, Courtney. “Growing beyond Independence: The Benefits of Interdependence.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/your-daughter-doesn-t-have-be-miserable/ 202202/growing-beyond-independence-the-benefits. Accessed 16 Oct. 2023. Johnson, D. W., and R. T. Johnson. “Cooperation and Competition, Psychology Of.” International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences, 2 Nov. 2002, www.sciencedirect.com/ science/article/abs/pii/B0080430767017988?via%3Dihub. Spendelow, Jason. “Interdependence: The Meaning and the Advantages.” The Practical Psychologist, The Practical Psychologist, 29 Aug. 2023, thepracticalpsych.com/blog/interdependent-meaning. About the Author Roxy Krawczyk is a Montessori teacher, educational consultant, and freelance writer. She holds Montessori certifications in both early childhood (AMS) and adolescent (AMI) education, as well as a Master of Arts in Education from St. Catherine’s University. Roxy has ten years of experience teaching in the classroom and has spent the last five years working as an educational consultant for early childhood programs. Prior to her work in education, Roxy earned a B.A. in English from Vassar College and was an editorial assistant in non-fiction book publishing. She loves using her passions for education, research, and writing to help parents gain new insight and tools for the ever-changing job of raising small humans .
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